Buckeye excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
Men's and Women's Swim and Dive Teams Compete Against Florida, Kentucky
Ohio State's Swim and Dive teams had its first meets since November, traveling down to Gainesville, Florida to meet the Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Ohio State men (No. 14 in the nation) took home nine event wins with junior Andrew Loy and freshman Jason Matthews leading the way. Loy won four events and Mathews added three. The men beat No. 25 Kentucky 336-245, but could not manage to continue their success against No. 5 Florida, falling 317.50-263.50.
The Ohio State women's team struggled against the SEC foes, losing decisively to each. Junior Molly Kowal won the 1650 Freestyle and added a third-place finish in the 1000. Sophomore Freya Rayner added three medals, including a gold in the 50 Freestyle.
The Swim and Dive teams will travel to Ann Arbor on January 19.
Women's Gymnastics Comes Close in Season Opener
The women's gymnastics team (No. 18 in the nation) opened the season with a date in Athens, taking on the No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs. The Buckeyes lost by less than two points, the final tally being 196.6-194.9. Senior Jannelle McClelland gave Ohio State its highest individual mark of the night, scoring a 9.850 on the floor. Senior and defending Big Ten Vault champion Jamie Stone led the Bucks in two events and finished third in the all-around. Junior Olivia Aepli joined Stone in the all-around standings, notching a fourth-place finish.
Ohio State will face NC State this coming Saturday in Raleigh.
Women's Basketball Fall To Two Big Ten Foes
The Ohio State women's basketball team ended 2018 with a close loss and opened the new year with another.
The Buckeyes fell to Nebraska on New Year's Eve 78-69. The matchup was a game of runs; it featured 11 lead changes before the Huskers pulled away near the end. Ohio State shot 84% from the free throw line, but turnovers proved to be the difference as the Bucks coughed it up 20 times.
To begin 2019, the Buckeyes traveled to Maryland to take on the No. 4 Terrapins. One of the toughest games of the season, the team played some of their best basketball all year. Maryland ultimately spoiled the upset bid, winning 75-69 to move Ohio State to the bottom of the Big Ten. Ohio State came back from a 17 point halftime deficit to tie the game at 47 apiece and later came within one with two minutes to play. Forwards Dorka Juhasz and Makayla Waterman combined for 30 points on an efficient 68.4% from the field to lead the Buckeyes.
Ohio State will be looking for its first conference win against the Hoosiers on Thursday.
